“Designated touchdown scorer? Yeah, that doesn’t sound like a bad gig,” joked
the Oklahoma Sooners center, talking about the backup quarterback who scored
four touchdowns Saturday in a 63-21 win over Texas at the Cotton Bowl.

Bell is a talented sophomore quarterback and was a highly recruited prospect
out of Wichita, Kan., but he has to serve his apprenticeship behind Landry
Jones, the Sooners’ all-time leader in quarterback wins. Still, while Bell bides
his time, he has a pretty sweet part-time job. He comes in as a running
quarterback in short yardage and goal-line situations.

While Jones passed for 321 yards and Damien Williams ran for 167 Saturday, it
was Bell running up his fantasy football numbers with 11 carries for 31 yards
and four scores.

“It’s awesome,” Bell said of the chance to run in off the bench whenever the
Sooners need a touchdown. “The offensive line and Landry do a great job, and
when I get the chance to get in there, I want to make sure I get the football in
the end zone.”

And that’s why he got the job — because he earned it. This season, Bell has
28 carries for 51 yards and seven touchdowns. Last season, he had 13 rushing
touchdowns, and 26 of his 44 carries went for a first down or a touchdown. In
other words, he produces. At 6-6 and 255 pounds, Bell has size and strength. And
as a talented athlete who understands the quarterback position, he gives
offensive coordinator Josh Heupel plenty of options.

“It’s just a numbers game — he’s 255 pounds,” Heupel said. “He can throw the
ball, we’ve seen that, and that creates some openings, but it’s his size and
strength and his ability to run. You just get an advantage when your quarterback
is running.”

The son of former NFL defensive end Mark Bell and the nephew of former NFL
defensive end Mike Bell, Blake clearly has some talent. As a senior in high
school, he passed for 2,752 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for 839
yards.

And with Jones ready to move on after this season, Bell probably will get a
chance to show off that arm at some point. But with 20 rushing touchdowns in his
collegiate career, there’s really not much reason to push for a new job just
yet.

“That package has always worked for us,” Ikard said, when asked if he wanted
to apply for the position of designated touchdown scorer. “So if it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it.”